If you love pizza as much as we do you have to try our Deep Dish Pizza recipe. This deep dish pizza recipe is everything I love about pizza with a thicker crust. This pizza gets baked in a square baking dish, and I like to cut the pizza into small squares before serving. Layers of pizza sauce, cheese and toppings melt together for the perfect bit.

This is not Chicago-style pizza it’s more similar to Detroit-style pizza or Sicilian-style pizza.

Related: Detroit Style Pizza, Stuffed Crust Cast-Iron Pizza, Calzone Recipe, Pizza Sauce, Pizza Dough, Chocolate Chip Pizza and Thin Crust Pizza.

This is not Chicago-style pizza it’s more similar to Detroit-style pizza or Sicilian-style pizza.

This pizza features a thick, rectangular crust with crispy edges and a soft interior. The dough is stretched out and pressed into a well-oiled square or rectangular pan, creating a caramelized, cheesy crust.

If you wanted this deep dish pizza to be more like an authentic Detroit-style pizza, then I’d recommend putting the sauce on top of the cheese rather than the other way around.

I add oil to the bottom of the pan the edges, also being sure to spread the cheese to the edge of dough so it touches the pan. This creates that crispy, crunchy edge to the pizza that reminds me of childhood Pizza Hut thick crust pizza (it was so good!).

When it comes to sauce, try our homemade pizza sauce or choose store bought. But I do recommend having some extra sauce on the side, as this is the kind of pizza you might want to dip into more sauce. If you love ranch, try our homemade ranch dressing.

Even though the pizza may not look big, I think you can easily feed four or five people with this pizza paired with a nice salad.

Deep Dish Pizza Ingredients:

• Active dry yeast
• Water
• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Olive oil
• Pizza Sauce– make your own or store-bought is great too
• Mozzarella cheese
• Toppings – pepperoni, bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, Italian sausage, mushrooms, spinach- you choose!

If you want to add a few teaspoons of oregano to the dough OR sauce feel free! Another optional idea is to add a couple tablespoons cornmeal to the pan after you oil it. This just gives a little more texture to the crust.

Instructions

In a glass mixing cup or small bowl, stir together the water and sugar. Then, sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water and allow to activate for a couple minutes.

In a large bowl, add the flour and salt. Pour the yeast water into the bowl and stir until a dough ball forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead a few times to help the dough stick together.

Then, place the dough back into the bowl, sprinkle with some flour so it doesn’t stick too much, cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for 30-40 minutes until doubled in size.

If your kitchen is cold or drafty (like mine is the winter), you can place the bowl inside a slightly warmed oven to rise.

Oil the inside of an eight-inch square pan. Then, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a small square. I like oil over butter here as I think it makes the bottom and edges of the crust a little crispier.

Place the dough in the oiled pan. Top with the sauce, cheese, and toppings. Make sure to sprinkle the cheese all the way to the edge, so it touches the pan (this will let it get crispy as it bakes).

Bake the pizza at 400°F for 15-16 minutes, until the edges are browned and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Slice the pizza three time across, making nine square pieces.

Tips for Making

• To get that crispy edge, be sure to sprinkle the cheese all the way to the edge so that it’s touching the pan.
• I like to provide red pepper flakes and grated parmesan cheese as an optional topping for the pizza.
• This recipe is made for an 8 inch baking pan, you may also use a cast-iron skillet to bake your pizza.

Here I tried to show you the thick and fluffy crust with that crispy edge. It’s soooo good! I love this deep dish pizza recipe. Enjoy!

Salad Recipes:

Bacon Goat Cheese Tomato Corn Pizza. A summertime pizza loaded with all the best things – sweet roasted shallots, cherry tomatoes, melty cheese, tangy goat cheese, smoky bacon, and fresh basil. I threw on some yellow corn too, because it’s summer and I love that little burst of sweetness it adds. This is one of those recipes that takes full advantage of all the summer produce at the markets right now – simple, fun, and so delicious!

It’s been a minute since I made a homemade pizza, but with all the summer tomatoes and sweet yellow corn popping up everywhere, I couldn’t resist baking up a fresh pizza pie!

I’ve actually been dreaming up this combination for months. It was inspired by an old tomato galette I shared way back in 2014. Isn’t that wild? I love looking back to see how much things have changed—especially my writing and definitely the photos! But honestly? I still adore that recipe. It’s a bit more time-intensive, but so perfect for summer days when you’re in the mood to bake something cozy but seasonal.

This pizza has a lot of those same vibes but with different flavors. No garlic here, but instead sweet cherry tomatoes roasted with thinly sliced shallots until the tomatoes burst and the shallots caramelize and mellow out.

From there, I layered on tangy goat cheese and crisp bacon—salty, creamy, and so good with those jammy tomatoes and sweet shallots. I added fresh corn, right off the cob. It was the perfect pop of sweet, summery flavor and brought everything together in the yummiest way!

Here are the details

Ingredients

• salted butter
• cherry tomatoes
• shallots
• fresh thyme
• chili flakes
• pizza dough – make sure this is at room temperature and not cold
• fig preserves
• crumbled goat cheese
• cooked bacon
• fresh basil
• low-moisture mozzarella
• yellow corn

Tools

You’ll need a baking dish and baking sheet to make this pizza. Alternatively, you can grill the pizza instead of oven-roasting. Both are really delicious options!

Steps

Step 1: the pizza dough

I do make my own dough, but feel free to grab your favorite store-bought dough. I love the options from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.

If you’re going the homemade route, I highly recommend making the dough a day or two ahead. I’ve been doing this lately and it bakes up like real-deal pizza shop dough every time. The extra resting time gives the dough more flavor and makes the crust chewier. So good!

Step 2: roast the tomatoes and shallots

Toss the cherry tomatoes and shallots in a baking dish with butter, fresh thyme, and chili flakes. Roast everything until the tomatoes burst and the shallots caramelize.

I always like to roast the tomatoes ahead to keep the pizza from turning soggy. Roasting brings out their sweetness, and those shallots? Buttery, a little salty, a little sweet—truly delish.

Step 3: prep the dough

Roll out the dough on a floured surface and transfer it to a baking sheet. You can also grill this pizza—just use a pizza stone and crank the grill to its highest setting. Make sure to preheat the stone for at least an hour to get that crispy crust.

Step 4: add the toppings

Now for the fun part! Start with a thin layer of preserves (apricot or fig are great), then add the roasted tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese, chopped bacon, and some torn basil. Finish with a handful of shredded mozzarella.

Pull apart the shallots and arrange the petals over the top, then sprinkle on the sweet corn.

Slide the pizza into the oven (or onto the grill) and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is all bubbly and melty.

Serving

As soon as the pizza comes out of the oven, top with more fresh basil. Slice it up and serve while warm—such a yummy way to celebrate summer produce!

Looking for other pizza recipes? Here are some favorites.

3 Cheese Prosciutto Peach Pizza

3 Cheese Lemon Basil Pizza

Pull Apart Roasted Garlic Pizza Dip Sliders

Pesto Pizza with Feta Stuffed Crust

Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Easy Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza

Pesto Potato Burrata Pizza with Spicy Arugula

Calabrian Chili Roasted Red Pepper Pizza

Lastly, if you make this Bacon Goat Cheese Tomato Corn Pizza, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!